India’s ruling Hindu Nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unilaterally revoked Articles 370 and 35-A from the Indian constitution. These articles had granted the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir special rights. Historically, Kashmir had been governed by Mughals, Afghans, Sikhs…

Britain’s long-standing love affair with curry houses dates back to 1926, when Veeraswamy, the oldest surviving Indian restaurant, opened in Regent Street.  Curry is often referred to as Britain’s national dish (although the word famously does not exist in India,…

Last year, the renowned Egyptian singer/musician/actor Ahmed Fahmi shared his misogynistic beliefs in a TV interview. Fahmi believes that a woman can have all the dreams and ambitions she wants – as long as they are approved by her man….

It is well known that one in five women have experienced some kind of sexual assault. It dawned on me all of sudden that although rape is a threat that families and communities use as a justification for the control…

Human beings are prone to persuasion. If this persuasion has a political or religious leaning, it can be persistent to the extent of becoming equivalent to brainwashing. At first, such indoctrination may appear superficially innocuous but it can have huge…

The APPG’s definition of ‘Islamophobia’ is a triumph for fundamentalists “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness” – All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims definition of Islamophobia The…

I am pretty sure plenty of us have heard the line, ‘We fed you, clothed you and housed you’ from our parents throughout our lives. They feel this entitles them to make every decision about our lives and our futures….

Some British Muslim parents have opposed the teaching of the ‘No Outsiders’ programme in primary schools, which is intended to teach pupils about diversity and equality. For weeks, they rallied outside the school gates – until they were banned. These…

I feel a great deal of frustration when people suggest because a rapist has been acquitted, then this means they are not guilty. Having worked in the sexual violence sector, I am aware of how the system works – and…

Pakistan’s Aurat March (Part 1) On International Women’s Day, Hum Aurtain (We, the Women), a collective, activism-oriented initiative organized the Aurat March in Pakistan. Activists carried placards on critical issues such as ‘honour’ killings and forced marriages. Others carried simple,…

Without collective action women’s status will not improve – Bonnie Kreps Pakistan’s Aurat March (Part 2) Aurat March 2019 established the need for modifying the responses of ordinary Pakistanis and the strategies of women’s rights activists. I have already discussed…

It is now rightly considered socially unacceptable to be racist or sexist. The kind of brash racism and sexism that some of my ancestors experienced is at an all-time low. Nobody can deny that both institutional racism and sexism do…

An ideology is a system of beliefs and ideals which form the basis of a political understanding. Religions often establish a set of values, myths, ideas, attitudes and beliefs within a doctrine that encourage individuals or organisations to embrace, for…

How are young people to make sense of the media response to Christchurch? Words matter. So why are media studies being stripped from our English curriculum just when our young people need it most? An ‘angelic boy’: this is how…

The shooting at Christchurch Mosque in New Zealand happened on the 15th March. It was a Friday. People were attending Friday prayers. Six people were confirmed dead before the day was over. After I found out about the attack, I…